Orphans Beloved: Modern Family
by regertz
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.


Orphans Beloved: "Modern Family…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later. I do plan at least one longer tale, "Nessun Dorma" but that's just getting sketched now.

Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.

Endgame at Dyad Institute…

Dr. Leekie and Rachel Duncan somewhat tied up by the Orphans, Sarah anxiously tending anxiously to a gallantly wounded Paul…New Orphans Sally, Frederika, Billie (Wilhelmina), Abigail, Marie, Claudia, Frances, with Cosima busy settling rather key issues with police. Why are you shooting up and looting data from a billions-dollar scientific institute being the most pressing…Though with help of Art Bell and others they have managed to avoid a police assault.

Leaving the Hendrixes in charge of their two most important prisoners…Aldous and Rachel.

And therefore a considerable degree of hope for at least a stage villain's exit, given Donald's true role…Still known only to the Dyaders.

However…Leekie is well aware the situation is most delicate…

Donnie clearly unsure of his next move…Free the bosses and make an escape that will likely now end in a world-wide manhunt? Or play along with the Orphans as he has had to up to now and continue enjoying the um, joys of familial life, perhaps forever.

Of course if it's true what that one Cosima said about Ally's genetic manipulation being treatable…Dyad simply having concealed the correct medication from her in order to observe her steady deterioration, she might remain in her current, tolerably pleasant, even generously affectionate mode.

I mean, it's not like she's hard on the eyes when not in bipolar ranting mode…

To think, Leekie pondered…The fate of one of the world's great geniuses…The cofounder of Dyad and this incredible project due, despite its recent compromises, to be heralded one day as the greatest scientific achievement since Newton discovered gravity…Heck, topping that and thensome…Lies in the hands of my dimwitted, lumpen…Barely a capable lab assistant…

…Son…

"Donnie…" Allison, tensely… "Be careful with that gun, don't shoot them before the girls bring the FBI and police."

"Allison…" Leekie at his most charming…

Rachel grimacing… This tack again, Father? For Heaven's sake tell bunder-boy step-brother there to shoot the bitch and lets get cracking. We owe it to Mother to escape and live for another day's ghastly human experimentation.

"…You know I have always had only your best…You and my girls' interests at heart."

"Excuse me?!...Best interests?!" Allison, staring. "You people planned for most of us to die…And often in gruesome ways."

"Hardly." Rachel cut in… "We had Helena and Rosemarie to prevent that."

"Killing us, that's your idea of our best interests?" Allison blinked. "And then kidnapping Kyra and planning to dissect her and Sarah to learn the secret of regenerative near-immortality?"

"Science requires a few eggs be broken from time to time, sweetheart." Leekie noted.

"You should be proud of your minor and insignificant role in my father's project." Rachel insisted.

"Dear?" Leekie cautioned. "Really not helpin' here."

"Donald?!" Rachel eyed him.

"Don't listen to her, Donnie…Any offers she makes are nothing but deceptions. And their threatening days are over." Allison insisted.

"Rach? Please?" Leekie sighed.

Lets not play our trump card till we have to…His look urged.

"Fine. You talk to her, Father." Rachel shrugged.

"He's not really…" Allison eyed her.

"In the spiritual and adoptive senses…" Leekie noted. "But we usually don't bring it up at work…Dyad tends to frown on nepotism."

"Hypocrites in high office as well…I might've known." Allison sniffed.

"Now, Ally…" Leekie began, warmly friendly tone.

"No one but my husband and some of the sisters I know better call me 'Ally'…It's Mrs. Hendrix to you." Allison, grimly.

Rachel rolling eyes…Glance to Donnie.

Idiot lumpen step-brother…Start shooting, you fool.

"Ally…Why do you want to do this…Ruin this great project, drag your children and family through the media wringer?"

"In part because my sister Cosima is dying and I'm steadily going insane." She eyed Leekie calmly. "All thanks to the good folks at Dyad."

Already achieved that plateau, I'd say…Rachel thought.

"That can be dealt with…It would have been dealt with, we had the key and knew how to proceed now."

"Liar!" Allison glared. "We knew your plans were to follow us through to the end without intervening. You monsters."

"Ally, there is a rhythm to Nature…A special providence in the fall of every…" Leekie began.

Oh, God…Even I wouldn't buy that, Father…Rachel sighed. And I'm your most devoted of daughters…

"Which of course for your sakes we would have interrupted if you'd've just left us to our work…" he hastily added at Allison's enraged glare.

"Oh, please, Dr. Leekie…I don't believe you…Look at all our dead sisters. You sent Helena, then poor Rose to do your dirty work where you didn't kill them by other means. We're not your daughters, we're your property…Your lab rats."

Rather wish we had some of those "other means" handy right now…Rachel thought. Instead, all we have is my Pillsbury doughboy of a half-brother.

"Your mother would be so hurt…Hearing that…" Leekie sighed.

"My mother is an obsessive-compulsive control freak currently babysitting our kids at her house. As for your adult nucleus donor…"

"I see her in all of you…" he mused gently…Winsome smile.

Allison eyeing him…

Hmmn…Rachel, sidelong glance. The sobering sentimental approach seems to be having an effect…

"She lives on for me in you, Allison…"

What? Wait a bit…Father? Rachel stared.

You always said I most reminded you of…

"She's just a nucleus for me…A DNA donor…" Allison, affected calm. "I have a mother and had a father, I don't need you or her, thanks."

"Would you like to see her picture? I have a photo in my wallet…"

No mention she's plastered on nearly every wall in the main office complex, Rachel thought…

But get her a little closer and Father's martial skills will no doubt rise to the occasion.

"No, thanks. I think I can guess what she looked like." Allison, coldly. "Besides, the police will coming shortly. You are going to jail, Dr. Leekie…And you too, freak proclone."

"Ally? Put your own family in jail?" Leekie shook head. "Could you do that?"

Hmmn…Allison, flashback to Ainsely choking in sink.

"I kinda think so, yes." She nodded briskly.

"Oh, fine…" Rachel glared. "Father, we've tried the sentimental approach and we're running out of time…Look, you. There's billions at stake here and you as a sort of family member could still benefit. If just Father and I and you." Sidelong glance to Donnie, still holding gun. "Were the only ones left."

"And Donnie…" Allison insisted.

Hmmn…Perhaps not so stupid as I assumed…Rachel thought, hopeful.

"Certainly…Donnie of course…" Rachel smiled coldly. "I already think of him as a brother of sorts."

"Thanks." Allison nodded. "But of course I'd never betray my sisters…And you two belong in jail."

"Donald?" Rachel, grimly. "You know what's at stake."

"Yes, Donnie…" Leekie, agreeing… "Time to hear from you on the subject."

Uh…

Well…

"Don't even waste your time." Allison, firmly. "Donnie would never listen to such talk. Besides, we'll make a fortune from the books and TV interviews after all this is over."

Hmmn…

"Oh, for God's sake, you stupid fool…!" Rachel, shaking head. "Donald? Listen to me, you lump of doltish blubber and…"

"Rachel." Leekie put up a hand. "Don? We are waiting here and you do hold the cards."

"Donnie?" Allison, a bit troubled, looking back.

"Uh, yeah?" he looked at her, gun still pointed.

"Nothing." Confident smile. "Just keep them covered."

Aww…You…He smiled…

Well…If the treatment would keep her like this…And we would rake it in from the media blitz…Not to mention…Dyad, Inc would go to my wife and her sisters if Dad should…

"Ally. You better see if the girls are coming with the cops. I'll watch these two, don't worry."

"Well…If you think…?"

"They're not goin' anywhere."

"Ok…Be right back…" she hurried out.

What? Rachel frowned. We don't get to see you plaster the walls with her brains after all this humiliation?

"Don?" Leekie frowned. "Not a good idea to let her go…We could have used her."

"Ok…Fine…" she put up a hand. "You didn't wish to have to blow the little wifey's brains out. That's very sweet, lumpen, you care a little. Now untie us and…"

"I've no idea what you two are talkin' about." Donnie, carefully. "My wife's gone to get the cops and I'm keepin' guard and if you two brilliantly evil types should manage to outwit simple me and make a break for it and I happen to shoot you while trying to escape…I don't think anyone would find it suspicious."

"Don?" Leekie, staring.

"You have to let us go, you moronic dolt!" Rachel fumed. "Oh, I knew it was a stupid idea to make this dolt a monitor, Father."

"Donnie…" Leekie tried the winning smile. "You have a chance to cast the deciding vote in Science's grandest gamble…To play your full role in history…To make your mark."

"There's 2 million in my safe and I can get you 50 million by wire by tonight." Rachel, going for the practical. "Later, you'll get your proper share…"

"Of what?" Donnie stared. "This company will be gone by tonight…The assets seized, the girls getting anything left."

"Unless you help us right now and we prevent all that…" Leekie tried. "Son…This is what you were meant to do in life."

"Shut up and follow orders as always, you dolt! Ummn…Dear brother." Rachel, trying a bit of sweetener at end.

"What? Are you gonna kill all the girls?" Donnie stared at Leekie… "Cause that's about your only option now…And I don't think the police and FBI are gonna allow that. And I'm gettin' damn tired of you two always insulting me and pushin' me around. At least Ally only does it when she's cranky and overtense or going crazy genetically. And the treatment to cure that is out, now thanks to Cosima and Delphine."

"What, are you going to sell us out, your little lump of flatulence?!" Rachel raged. Beaming a moment later… "I never suspected you had it in you, Donald."

"Don…This is your father…And I want you…" Leekie, firmly.

"And since when have you ever treated me like a son? I'm more your son than that…" glance to the Immediately furious Rachel… "Is your daughter and you've always brushed me aside, made fun of me, derided me."

"I was encouraging you to exceed yourself, son." Leekie tried.

"Mother hated the direction you were taking the project, I know that much. Goddamn you, Dad, everything I did, including marrying Allison under Mom's name…You wouldn't even let me use our name…Was to please you…And what thanks did I get?"

"I'm the real Leekie!" Rachel glared. "You, you're a genetic misfit…A random accident…An insult to our parents' genius!…"

"The guy holding the gun." Donnie noted.

"Dear brother." Rachel, smiling. "Now, we've had our differences…"

"Half-brother, and I'm not sure if that applies…" Donnie glared.

"You don't really want to spend your life with Allison…Donnie?" Rachel, gentle smile.

"I don't know, I can kinda take her sometimes…She can be very sweet. And with the new medication to control her engineered bipolarity…"

Not to mention umpteen millions…

"I can be very sweet too, Donnie…" Rachel noted coyly. "I could even take over Allison's role."

"What?" Leekie stared. "Rachel? That's just sick."

"He's already sleeping with his more or less half-sister…" she noted.

Good grief…Donnie stared. I never thought about it that way.

Whoa…Kinda kinky, really…

"I could be just as good a wifey as Allison…And no one would ever know…" Rachel cooed.

Hmmn…It's beginning to sound as though there may be no room for Dad on this getaway bus, Leekie thought.

"We could rebuild Dyad in secret, Donnie…" she urged. "The other girls would be totally taken in…See… 'Donnie! Stop doing that!'…Perfect, right?" smile.

Great…An Ally whom medication won't help. What could be more appealing…?

"Rachel? What are you doing?" Leekie hissed.

"Yeah…Well if I were the person you claim me to be that would sure be appealing…" Donnie noted. "But being as I am, nothing but the honest and loyal if bumbling husband of Allison Hendrix…I think I gotta turn you down. I will let Ally know about your offer of replacing her though. I'm sure she'll be impressed with your resourcefulness."

"You little #$ ##!" Rachel raged…Struggling in chair. "We'll tell the world you were a part of this! You'll go to prison with us!"

"Don, your sister has a point." Leekie noted.

"Oh…My…God…Dr. Leekie's cleverly outwitted me untying himself and has a gun?!" Donnie, quavering tone. "I hated to do it but I had to shoot him…To protect my wife and family as well as myself." Sigh…

"Donald?!"

Blam…One of the world's greatest minds spattered on the gleaming walls of the Dyad Institute.

"You freakin' maniac!" Rachel, screaming…

"Honey?" she desperately got hold of herself…Nervous smile.

"You can either try to escape like the evil Dr. Leekie, shooting your way out…" Donnie noted, eyeing the body slumped in chair…As Rachel stared…

Shooting?...

But…

Ohhh…Right…

Got it. Hmmn…There's more of Dad in him than I ever would have thought.

"Or you can agree that you too were but a pitiful victim of his ruthless scheme, tell me where you guys keep guns, and in whatever time's left before the guys show, show me how to delete anything connecting Donald "Donnie" Hendrix to Dyad, Inc."

I suppose…Given there's no bringing him back and that it would give me a shot at a share of Dad's inheritance…Rachel thought. Leaning away from the blood-oozing remains…

Kinda cute and surprisingly clever, this lumpen little half-brother of mine, I begin to see why Allison loves him so much…

"Thanks so much for saving me from that evil, manipulative bastard…Mr. Hendrix." Rachel noted solemnly. "I'm sure with time and therapy all traces of his fiendish brainwashing and programming will be purged from me…"


End file.
